Shropshire Star

Hednesford Town 3 AFC Telford United 3

AFC Telford United twice came from behind to force an exciting score draw away to fierce rivals Hednesford Town after a see-saw clash at Keys Park.

Published

Telford defender Neill Byrne broke the deadlock with an own goal early on, but Mike Grogan's volley levelled matters at the break.

Grogan's second put them ahead in the second-half but a fight-back from Hednesford restored their lead, Marvin Robinson and Paul McCone on target.

The Bucks would not leave beaten, however, with substitute Mike Phenix marking his return from a stomach complaint with the equaliser.

The goal glut began on 16 minutes with Byrne left red-faced by Elliott Durrell's free-kick into the box, which he could only head backwards and into his own far corner, past goalkeeper Ryan Young.

Jamey Osborne suffering a hamstring injury was a setback for Hednesford heading into half-time, appearing to pull his hamstring attempting a back-heel as Chris Lever slid into clear on 43 minutes.

A double blow was to follow one minute into first-half stoppage time as Grogan hammered home a volley on the edge of the box, after Adam Farrell hooked the ball into his path.

Telford came out after the break and came from behind for the second game in succession to lead, Grogan replacing Clancy's at the top of the club's goal charts with his seventh strike of the season.

His header looped over goalkeeper Dan Crane and into the corner of the net with the second-half just four minutes old, Charlie Barnett with the corner in from the right.

But Hednesford battled back and levelled through Robinson four minutes later, the big striker squeezing his header in at the back post from Durrell's left-sided corner.

It was the Pitmen who got themselves back on top in the 59th minute, another delivery from Durrell met with a glancing header from McCone that flew into the net.

Super-sub Phenix, with his fourth goal from the bench this season, rescued a point for Telford with 12 minutes to go.

Matthew McGinn's corner from the right was nodded goalwards by Phenix and deflected in to earn Liam Watson's side a share of the spoils in the Skrill Conference North.